Rotary engine construction



Jan. 23, 1923. 1,443,282

J. E. SCOTT. ROTARY ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

FILED SEPT. 24. 1919. 2 SHEETS'SHEET 1 Fi l. ,5/

IN VENTO R Jb/zn Z. Scati ATTQRNEYs Jan. 23, 1923. 1,443,282

' J. E. SCOTT.

ROTARY ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

FILED SEPT. 24. l 919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,443,282 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. SCOTT, OF SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO HEBER E.

HUNTER, OF SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 24, 1919. Serial No. 325,868.

To all whom it may camera Be it known that I, JOHN E. Soon, a

citizen of the United States, residingat San Quentin, in the county of Marin and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engine Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine and particularly pertains to an engine of the rotary type.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a two-cycle rotary engine which is decidedly simple in its construction and eflicient in its operation and is further designed so that it may be assermbled from a few duplicate parts adapted to be readily removed and interchanged.

It is the further object of the invention to provide simple means for maintaining the piston connecting rods in alignment, for delivering proper lubrication thereto and for insuring that the exhaust and intake of gases to the cylinders will be brought about in an improved and desirable manner.

The present invention contemplates the use of a central rotary crank ca'se carrying a plurality of radially arranged engine cylinders disposed in; pairs upon diametrically opposite sides ofthe axis of the crank case and receiving pistons fixed to a single slotted connectin rod, the pistons and cylinders being so formed as to cause a-twocycle operation of the engine and the cylinders provided with a circular exhaust manifold and muffler, through which the exhaust gases will pass.

The invent-ion is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a view in vertical section and side elevation, particularly showing the arrangement of the crank shaft and the cylinder and piston construction.

Fig.2 is a view in vertical section and elevation, showing the general arrangement of the cylinders with parts broken away to more clearly disclose the piston rod driving connections.

' Referrin more particularly to the drawings, 10 in icates a crankshaft, here shown as suspended from fixed bearings 11 and 12 and secured against rotation n relation thereto. It will be understood that while these bearings are shown as being stationary,

that by slight modification they may be made part of an automobile construction or designed for use in an aeroplane. In the present arrangement, the shaft has a single throw 13, upon which slot-ted cross heads 14:, 15, 16 and 17 are mounted. These cross heads are more clearly shown in Fig. 2, where it will be seen that they are formed integral with oppositely extending piston rods 18 and 19, these rods, of course, being In longitudinal alignment and intersecting the longitudinal center of the cross head slot. A bushing 20 is provided for each of the cross heads and extends through the slot 21 thereof. These bushings have opposite flat faces 22 spaced from each other a distance agreeing with the width of the slot 21.. and thus sliding therein Without rotation. It is to be understood that each of these bushings is formed with a collar for spacing the adjacent cross heads and that the bushings are free to rotate upon the throw 13 of the crank shaft 10.

The crank case is preferably formed of tral passageway 29. This passageway is in communication with a suitable carbureter 30, by which gaseous fuel is delivered to the engine cylinders. The hub 26 is provided with a stuffing gland 31 which circumscribes the tubular end portion of the crank shaft and prevents leakage of the fuel while tending to hold the hub and crank shaft in fixed relation to each other, and with the ducts 28 of the hub in register with passages 32 through the crank shaft.

Cylinder units 33 are formed,' as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and secured in any desired manner to the crank case sections 23. These cylinder units are formed with fuel inlet passageways 34 in register with the passageways 28 of the hub 26. These passageways extends to a point substantially midway the length of the cylinder and there communicate with the interior thereof. Formed upon a diametrically opposite side of the cylinder 7 wall and communicating with the cylinder at a point a short distance further out than the point of communication of the passageway 34 is a bypass duct 35. The inlet passage 34 will thus form an inlet port 36 while the duct 35 will form a port 37 The opposite end of the duct terminates with a port 38 at the base of the cylinder and thus provides a passageway through which gaseous fuel may be forced, after being compressed by one of the pistons 39. This compression action will take place between the false head 40 of the crank case and the piston, it being noted that this head is formed with a central opening, through which the piston rods may slide and which opening is equipped with suitable packing 41. The head is further de signed with an outwardly extending boss for carrying the packing and which boss will.

telescope within the skirt of the piston when it is in its innermost posit-ion.

Each of the cylinders is also fitted with an exhaust port 42, preferably disposed upon the same side of the cylinder as the intake port 36 and positioned between it and the cylinder head. The intake ports 42 are fitted with exhaust passageways 43 leading to a circular exhaust manifold 44. This manifold is shown in Fig. 1 as being arranged concentric with the rotating axis of the engine. The manifold is circular in section and is formed with telescopic walls 45 and 46 which are disposed one within the other and both enclosed ,within the outer wall of the manifold. These walls are perforated, as

.indicated at 47, the perforations of the successive walls being upon their opposite sides and thus causing the exhaust gases to pursue a circuitous course of travel in reaching the atmosphere. It will be understood that the exhaust passageways 43 are in communication with the innermost compartment formed by the wall'46.

Each of the cylinders is equipped with a spark plu 48 which extends outwardly from the cylin er head and has a contact point 49. The contact points of the various cylinders are intended to successively 'pass beneath a contact finger 50 and while not communicating in actual engagement with this finger, are

. supposed to be spaced so that an electric current could jump from the finger to the con- .tact point. The finger is fitted with a' single ignition wire 51 carried in a support 52. This support and the wire are preferably mounted upon the end of a magneto 53. As shown in Fig. 1, the magneto is mounted upon the bearing member 12 and is operated by a gear 54 secured to its armature shaft and in mesh with a gear 55 secured to the hub 26 of the rotating engine.

A desirable system of lubrication is provided by filling the crank case with'a lubricant and allowing this lubricant to pass outwardly through the piston rods 18 and 19 along ducts 56. The outer ends of these ducts communicate with transverse oil glands 57 formed in the threaded ends of the piston rods and continuing radially through the base portion of the pistons.

In operation of the present invention it will be assumed that the'engine is designed to rotate in the direction of arrow a, as indicated in Fig. 2. The gaseous fuel in the uppermost cylinder C will be under compression and at the point shown in F Lig.- 2 will be fired. As the firing stroke'continues, the piston will move inwardly to assume the combined exhaust and charging act-ion indicated by the cylinder E. The action in this case will be the same as that employed in'all two-cycle engines as the uncovering of the exhaust port 42 by the head of the piston will permit the exhaust gas to pass outwardly through the exhaust passageways. 43 and to the muflier 44. At the same time gaseous fuel under'compression will pass through the duct 35 and the port 37 to strike a baflie member 58 and be deflected outwardly into the head of the cylinder. It will be understood that this compression action of the gaseous fuel has been brought about, due to the fact that when the piston was in its outermost position its skirt uncovered a port 36 in communication with the inlet passageway 34 and due to a partial vacuum in the rear of the piston and between it and the end 40, gaseous fuel would be drawn in back of the piston. As the piston thereafter moved inwardly, this fuel was compressed as it could not pass out through the port 37, which was covered by the piston. However, when the end of the piston uncovered the intake port 37 and the exhaust port 42, an exhaust and intake action would simultaneously take place. After passing the lowermost position of the cylinder E, the exhaust and intake ports will both beclosed and the'fuel will be compressed in the cylinder for the next charge when the cylinders successively assume the position of the cylinder C. Simultaneous with this action, oil will be continuously delivered to the pistons by the centrifugal action of the rotating engine.

' Attention is directed to the fact that a strain will therefore be upon the piston structures and not upon the crank shaft in such a large measure as has heretofore been the case. This rigid piston rod structure will act to throw the upper cylinders downwardly while elevating the lower cylinders and will conserve the power usually lost by separately pivoting each of the piston rods to the crank shaft. I

Attention is further directed to the fact that the intense and sudden shock of the ex plosion at the top of the engine will be, to a great extent, offset by the general disposition of the pistons to move outwardly and upwardly into the cylinders lying above the rotary axis of the engine.

It will thus be seen that in the construction here disclosed, an engine of simple, duplicate parts is provided, which will operate on the two-cycle plan to produce considerable power andwhich is equipped with a simple and effective fuel and ignition system, as well as adequate and simple means of lubrication.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A rotary two-cycle explosive engine of the character described, comprising pairs of radially aligned cylinders, with pistons and rods connecting with an offset crank having transversely slot-ted yokes, a crank case including sections united to form closures for the inner cylinder ends, and with outwardly projecting stufiing boxes through which the piston rods pass, said sections having slots connecting at one side with an axial forming the crank case, yokes slidable transversely across the fixed crank, piston rods connected with said yokes, stuiiing boxes between the cylinders and the crank case through which the piston rods extend, pistons. in the cylinders with which the rods connect and reciprocate as the cylinders and crank case rotate around the fixed crank shaft, passages from a carbureter through the crank shaft, and through the crank case, plates and cylinder walls, opening into the cylinders to admit explosive gas to the inner end thereof when the pistons move outwardly, and by-pass passages to transfer the gas from the inner end of the cylinders to the outer end thereof to be completely compressed and exploded, and means per- Initting the exhaust of the burnt gas.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

H. E; SMITH, JULIET HUNTER. 

